


In our Darkness

by Arahs13



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Death, Demon AU, Demons, Demonstuck, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Hunters, M/M, Swearing, davekat - Freeform, i'll add more tags as this goes, tagging's hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 19:08:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3392909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arahs13/pseuds/Arahs13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Along time ago demons once were known and feared, but after being chased back into the darkness by hunters it was believed that the demons had all but been extincted.</p>
<p>Now as time and life itself have advanced, it seems that this may not be completely true.</p>
<p>Reversal demonstuck au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first time posting on ao3 and also this is my first fanfiction so please bear with me.  
> and no i havent stolen this, i have taken it from my account on fanfiction.net which is also arahs13.
> 
> this is loosely based on the reversal demonstuck au.  
> basically im just making this up as i go, i lost the files where i planned out what was happening for at least most of the story. but i am open to suggestions on how to continue this. this is mainly a davekat fanfictions but it switches p.o.v's between them and other characters.  
> im open to criticisms as well.  
> so anyway if your still reading this, enjoy.

There was once a time where humanity lived in peace. Their was balance and order, there were the poor and the rich. The rulers of the others. But as time progressed, so did humanity. Order fell and old teachings were forgotten, some drifting off into myths and legends no longer seen as teachings they once were. Others, well they were forgotten completely. Left to the darkness of a void that humanity could never reach. To the abyss were certain things dwelled.  
There was once a time where there was an certain order that kept this peace. These were men, each wielding swords and daggers possessing amazing skill in the arts. Some dark others light. These men were the protectors of humanity, the ones that stood in the darkness, hidden and forgotten. But never were they alone.  
Creatures dwelled in the abyss, creatures that we would call demons. They had pointed ears, much like those of the ones we describe elf’s having. The ones little children talked about in the stories. But these demons were not the ones from these stories we talk of. They were not men, who were built so strong, neither were they ones with horns and goat legs. No those were the satyr. Other creatures of the realm. However these demon were extinct and forgotten. Ones that had perished far beyond the darkness of both this realm and the next. 

You see, there was only really one race of demons that strived in the world. These ones were the ones that took shape of a human; they walked, talked even acted as if they were humanoid. But no matter how they acted they were never apart of the mundane world. In fact these demons, their class were never named. They were what you could call the nameless, though to the mundane all demons were the same and never needed or deserved a name.  
During the time of kings and queens, the knights fought off these demons. They killed, tortured and even exorcised them. To the point that they were at the brink of extinction themselves. Much like other races. Those that were left retreated in to the abyss. Never to reveal themselves, never stepping out into the light. It had seemed that the hope that had once been lost for humanity was returned, with no sign of the demons the mundane celebrated and rejoiced. They practically worshipped the ones that had perished all the foul demons, spawn of Satan.  
Soon just like everything else, the stories and tales of demons, even the knowledge slowly passed. And over time they were only remembered by those who were born to the demon hunters. . And once again just like the demons they once hunted, the hunters faded into the darkness.

However as time moved on so did the human race. Leaving just the demon hunters that still remained in their wake. Unlike the demons they had hunted, the hunters hadn’t quite perished just yet. Indeed though they were little in number and more spread out amongst the new advance civilisations and cities they still existed. They still fought demons Unknown to the humans of the modern worlds. These demons were lower class, but still attacked the world just a little more discreetly than they used to.

Of course, hunters still lived ordinary lives, still had friends and family. Though they manly consisted of hunters alike, they still had to make a living; they had to have a backup plan for life. Hunting was not something someone could easily speak of without being called crazy. It wasn’t something that could easily be done either. And as the human race advanced in technology and ideas, so did the hunters.   
Unfortunately there can never be too many positives without negatives, can there? So along with the humans and hunters, demons too advance. Some adapting their guises, becoming modern day pets and animals, others just adapting in the way they lived their lives and how they went about business. And of course the nameless couldn’t be forgotten either could they. Oblivious to most hunters, the demons returned to the modern world. Just a little different than they were before. They too had adapted, and they to still hid in the darkness. Some were still ruthless killers hiding behind the masks of murders and other criminals. Others were what could be called more modest, wanting only to live in peace, to not be what they are.   
Though that wasn’t something that could be achieved.

There were two places know to both the demons and hunters. These were the hot spots for both of the races. These places were the moons above skaia, the planet now inhabited by both the humans and demons after certain events, events to be discussed in another time. Maybe.  
The two moons were called Prospit and Derse. One yellow the other pink. These moons were the dreamers went once slumber had taken them. Here they would wake up in their dreams selves, were they did many important things.

Well it was more of a place where they could escape everything. You see there lives were connected to there dream selfs. Though nothing would happened to them if their dreams selves died and the same way reversed. They were just an extension of themselves. Even demons had this connection to their dream selves.  
Prospit in all its yellow glory was the dream moon of the demons, a place consider safe for its inhabitants. Well most. Demons as they were didn’t need to sleep as much as the humans that they killed or in some cases tolerated and lived in their society with. Demon classes as a whole had more strength than that a human and had more stamina, as well as increase energy levels meaning the need to sleep, Though still an instinct and a need, wasn’t something they need to do on a regular basis. Most demons chose against sleeping & some chose to sleep nightly like humans, either way it wasn’t an essentially need for their survival. This is a reason they can be more dangerous. Some could consider them nocturnal, due to them being more active at night time. Demons weren’t allergic to the sun, just didn’t have as much as a tolerance to it as a human would. They could get along fine and live in the sun, just after a while there eyes could hurt. But by this time demons had lived in the sun for so long, it no longer bothered them. This is a problem at times for hunters. 

Hunters on the other hand would awake on Derse, in its marvels pink beauty. And of course due to them being human, they had to fulfil their humane needs for survival .however like demons hunters would genetically have more strength and stamina that a natural human, due to their genetics and being bread for this sort of thing. However even with increase strength and stamina, it still wasn’t a match for demons. Which is why hunters trained from a very young age, they had to learn how to be more like a demon in speed and strength and mind if they were going to be able to take them down. Hunters did have an advantage in their sleep pattern. They could go long periods of time without sleep, and still be up to normal. But the need to sleep was something they couldn’t escape.  
Everyone had to sleep as some time; it’s an instinct that cannot be escaped. Even for a demon.   
But enough of that for now. After all wasn’t it about time that you got on with the story. What sort of story teller would I be, if I let the simplest part of biology or history get in the way? These facts weren’t important at the current time.

Perhaps that it was indeed about time that you let the final show commence. Or at least got it started before you had to make your departure from this world. Wouldn’t you?

Maybe not for you, but it was considered rude to let the master wait. Of course at the present time you’d needn’t worry yourselves with that. Yet.  
After all there still was the tale of demons and mundane at hand. Hopefully you’d wish it to be as good of a show as I do.  
What you see in front of you is a frame, a steel frame at that. Of course it would only be natural for a frame to contain a picture, but at the moment no such thing exists. You cannot see anything but an empty black void, which is such a shame. Technology never seemed to work properly nowadays. Some of you may have already figured out that this frame is the fourth wall, how you know I don’t quite know. And for those that didn’t, well it was a new piece of information you had acquired. Always a good thing to learn.

However we still had the issue of the fourth wall being broken. Except hasn’t it always been broken?  
Other than that it was still a picture frame which contains a picture none the less, and every picture tells a story. 

Sometimes we don’t like the ending

Sometimes we don’t understand it.


	2. Mundane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, again if your actual still reading, thanks here's another chapter

=>  
Chapter 1 

Fuck

Just fuck

It was freezing, it was raining and you are fucking drenched to the bone. Stuck out in the cold in the disgusting shithole of a city, stuck in nothing but a thin shirt, jeans and a hoodie that wasn’t fucking thick enough. It was yet another one of those days. You know the ones that you just don’t give a flying fuck about anything. Yer Karkat was having one of those days. He’d been having those types of days more constantly then he would have liked. Anyone could only have so many until there tether snapped, and Karkat’s was wearing thin. He just couldn’t do it anymore.

It was an ordinary day so far in the middle of august within the dreary city that was currently your home. Ironically it was called Derse, which was just fucking great, really. The one place that you all had to end up in was the place named after that god forsaken moon, Derse. Out of all the shit stains of places, they just had to pick the most shitiest of them all. Thank you Mr. Egbert, and sir Harely

And just to top of the icing on the fucking cake you were currently suffering the worst autumn yet. The temperatures where below fucking freezing, accompanied by wind that was just set on trying to knock you over, and not to forget the shit ton of rain. You were practically drowning in it.

So here Karkat was marching his way down a mostly abandoned street, with the sun on the verge of setting. With hoodie pulled all the way up, his hands scrunched up in his pockets, and a death glare of the century. Maybe that should be a nickname as well; it too was now becoming even more common and even more deadly as the days passed. But who in this fucking world gave a fuck, you were Karkat fucking Vantas and that’s all it needed to know seeing as it was just pissing you off way too much. You needed to just get home, jump into a blanket and perhaps wait till the world ended, or at least in till Terezi made her way home.

You started to quicken your pace a little, the quicker you got home the quicker you could get out of this fucking cold and wet rain. You didn’t practically hate the rain or the cold air, you just hated the sensation of being wet. God who would like it. You preferred the cold months over the warmer ones, you couldn’t stand the heat, it made you all sweaty and your palms sticky. Never a nice fucking feeling. It felt like everything was constantly trying to burn you up and eat you, literally. And the air conditioning was a joke, it never worked. Which of course would be a problem if you didn’t live in the shit hole you called an apartment.

A slight shiver ran down your spine, partly from you being really pissed off, partly because of the fucking cold, partly because something just didn’t feel right. You don’t know what it was, but it had your senses up high and was making you freak out, a little. God did you wish you were currently at home, and for once was luck on your side. The apartment was only around the corner.

A partially loud thunder clap had you running toward the apartment. Though you couldn’t see the lighting strike pass all of the fucking sky scrapers, you certainly hear it and saw a flash. For Karkat, that was just about fucking enough to have him running like he was about to die. You may be a demon, but fuck, you had every right to be scarred of thunder. It wasn’t something you had experienced often when you were younger.

After finally reaching the apartment steam and bolting up the stairs, you yanked your keys out and started jabbing them around the lock until it went in hastily before slamming the door behind you as you entered. It was one of the politest ways you knew how to announce your presence to no one. Slumping against the door and taking deep breaths, you finally calmed down. You had no idea what had you on edge, but you couldn’t take anymore of this. If it wasn’t for Terezi you think you would off bolted straight out of here, saying fuck this and join everyone else.

When you had all originally started out, one of the two guardians you had had suggested that they all would attempting living normal lives in the city amongst the humans (possibly hunters, you don’t know) you had gotten lucky and got a flat which was very near the others, it was a one bedroom flat, one or two blocks away from your ‘best bro’ Gamzee. Who lived furthest away any of us would dare from the others. If you were correct john and jade had lived directly in the flat below you, Jake and jade in the flat a few numbers down the hall from them. Kanaya lived in the apartments next to your, Tavros well fuck, you presumed that he lived with Gamzee, due to his ‘accident’. And for Terezi, she lived in your flat.

And no

Just because she lived in his apartment which was one bedroom, did not mean he was with Terezi. Karkat had just felt responsible for her and her welfare, which meant that there was no way in hell was he going to let her live by herself and Of course Karkat had many reasons to back this up.

Number fucking one being the fact that of course she too was a demon like Karkat. Demons didn’t come in large numbers now day, and the ones that did stayed close together. Naturally they would have lived in a hive, but that wasn’t much of an option for all of you... most of you. You had all decided, that you were going to attempt living with the humans like most of you currently did... had. It came as a surprise that the 12 of you all had managed to survive this long outside of their hive. And even more of a surprise that you had survived, and as of yet not spotted by hunters. It had been so long since any of you had seen hunters that it was just becoming natural to believe that perhaps they had all died, along with the bloodlines. Which if it were true, it would be a fucking miracle.

Getting back to the current subject. There had only been one of you that had completely refused to live amongst the humans and chose to stay living in your hive with her fucking spider mom. (with the exception of Gamzee who had taken alot of convincing to get him to live in a flat)she was The psychopath bitch hellhound named Vriska. Karkat knew her of course, just not as personally as the others. He had talked to her, but you’d really just had to be plain crazy to approach her, unless you happened to be Terezi, which Karkat was certainly not, who surprisingly was the only one that really tolerated Vriska out of you. Of course your now wheel chaired friend had once sported a crush for the bitch, but that shortly went out of the window after the ‘accident’ which none of you really wanted to talk about. But still you were having a hard time seeing how Terezi like her so much, seeing as she was the one that made her blind in the first place. Which really was not his place to talk about it. Vriska was just one of those people who wore an invisible sign practically screaming ‘come near me I’ll fucking gut you’ and most likely eat it or feed it to her ‘mother’, with ‘unless I trust you; written in lower case too small that it was impossible to read. If it even existed, pretty much everyone would avoid her. Either way he certainly was not one of those people. However even if she was a bitch, and did have her spider mother thing he still felt sorry for her. He couldn’t imagine how lonely it would truly have been.

Anyway back to Terezi. Reason two: SHE IS FUCKING BLIND!! Not much to say on the matter. What sort of person would Karkat be if he was to let her go and fend for herself. She may have the fantastic –creepy sense of smell where she could ‘see’ everything just by smell. Not mentioning her disgusting habit of licking things, himself included, which was her trying to get a ‘better picture’. However even with this ability her blindness still made her vulnerable, and well fuck, Karkat didn’t know what he would do if something happened to her, especially if it meant he could of prevented it from happening. It just so happened that she ended up staying in his flat and sleeping in his bed ‘if Karkat could even call it that anymore’ nightly, while he was left to the fucking excuse of a couch, for when he actually fucking slept. Which was quite literally never. Karkat just couldn’t dream like the others. And in truth it was just fucking depressing.

He had no idea why Terezi liked to sleep nightly, perhaps it was because she got to go off somewhere away from here, or maybe it was just because she liked to sleep, alot. He didn’t know, you each had your own preferences. What was the saying ‘each to his own’ or what-fucking ever. But fuck did it piss Karkat off sometimes. She was able to just stroll in, throw herself down like a brick and drift off in to perhaps one of the most peaceful sleeps he had ever see with a shit eating grin lathered across her face. While Karkat was left to the black void of endless terrors, fever dreams. It was something that allowed Terezi to so kindly call you a ‘late bloomer’ which to a normal dreamer meant that his lazy ass dream-self hat yet to wake up; and by Jegus was Karkat waiting for the day that it would come.

As for reason three. Well Karkat didn’t need a fucking third reason as to why Terezi lived with him. Two was enough for anyone’s fucking book!

After quickly stripping down and wiping himself off with a towel, Karkat replaced his hoodie and jeans with yet another pair of grey jeans and a black hoodie and a light black v-neck tee; which would show his muscles if he was ever to take the damn hoodie off. Karkat’s trip back to his apartment had really been a pit stop before he took off for work. From the looks of things his apartment currently was empty, a good thing. Karkat wouldn’t have Terezi hounding his back for food, not like she couldn’t make it herself. Karkat sighed, closing his bedroom door behind him before making his way over to the couch in the corner of the room; picking up one of her disgusting, messy chalks. It just so happened that he picked her one of her favourites, the red. She had a weird fetish for the colour red, especially if she could eat it, the chalk included. He let out a low chuckle behind a close mouth. She really was fucking weird, he had no clue how he had dealt with her and her weird shenanigans for so long. Karkat made his way over to the note book, chalk in hand, hanging by the door. Terezi wasn’t really one for long messages, she got bored easily. Her and her short attention span. So he would try to make this as short as he was fucking capable of.

‘GOING OUT TO THE FUCKING THING YOU CALL ‘WORK’. STIR FRY IS STILL IN THE FRIGDE IF YOU ARE HUNGRY. JUST PUT IT IN THE MICROWAVE, AND DONT FUCKING BURN DOWN THE APARTMENT WHEN IM GONE. I HAVE TO FUCKING PAY FOR THIS SHIT.’ 

There. He couldn’t put it clearer if he tried. Hopefully she would get the message; it wasn’t that hard to make out.

And with that, and the biggest sigh that Karkat could possibly muster, he made his way out. He may be a demon, but according to Kanaya nothing was free. And beside it was all about the human act. So apparently even demons had to work to keep themselves alive now, and out of trouble. From what Karkat had learned, if you’re working and acting like a normal mundane then maybe, just maybe, you’d get fucking lucky and a hunter won’t notice and kill you. Though talking about hunters, it had been years since any of you had really seen them. Perhaps all the founding bloodlines had died out. If you were lucky.

Tonight was going to be a long night for Karkat if he continued with these thoughts, a long fucking night.

And with that he shut the door behind him, leaving the echoing click of the lock and his footsteps in his wake.


	3. You're a Strider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thanks, now
> 
> have some Dave

= > 

 

It was about what, one in the morning? And damn did Dave feel like a piece of shit. Wait, no he was below shit, he was the shit below the highest shits foot, not even worthy of the shits above presences.

And thank Jegus that the music store was still open at these times. In all honesty their tracks were shit as hell, and Dave never really went there to get the music it just gave him something to do. It was not a place that people would look for him, so really it was just a getaway. Tonight was no different. It was meant to be his shift, patrolling the town, looking for things that people wouldn’t normally see; demons and so on. Just thank the Lalonde’s for doing it for him. He really needed the break, but by god did he have it in for tomorrow, the Strider Dirk was going to mow him down.

And Dave was his name.

Well it was official, from all the lack of sleep and food, Dave’s mind had made a beautiful pirouette of the rollercoaster he call a mind. He might as well start talking to himself at this rate; it was the first sign of madness.

Shit, Dave was not expecting that, most likely because he was too lost in his own mind to actually pay attention to the world around him. Wouldn’t bro like that, another thing to pester him about; His impeccable skill in being able to sense and see his surroundings, or lack of thereof.

It wasn’t like he had been attacked or anything, thank Jegus, but still he hadn’t expected to see that, and now he was just standing near the door gawping like some fucking creep. Wonderful.

This had all been after Dave had got Rose to take over his patrol shift for the night. It wasn’t like he just handed it over to her and expected her to do it, she had offered. It was then that Dave had decided that tonight was the night to make his weekly visit to the music shop, ignoring rose’s orders. It was old, battered, and had a distinct smell which wasn’t all that bad once you got used to it. It was the smell of thick smoke, tar and other unpleasant stuff he really didn’t want to delve deep in to. But hell what was he expecting from a shop situated right in an alley, at the far side of town with broken lights outside? Nothing much. But still even with its appearance and smell, and the fact that it looked like a drug den Casey still had a unique charm to it. One being its name, the other being the little sign under it. From the looks of it the sign just looked like a really weird H. It hung crooked on the building, looking like it could fall off any moment. It wasn’t the first time Dave had seen this sign. It was lightly scattered amongst Derse with little significant. He would normally shake it off as one of the little corporations that owned other business. But there was just something about it that didn’t sit right with him. Like he had seen it before. Maybe he will talk to the others about it.

But still even with the creepy ass sign, Casey’s beauty couldn’t be taken away from her. The records were still shit though, nothing compared to what him, dirk and bro would lay down. And half the time the only people Casey would attract would be older males or grumpy assholes looking for music lost with the times. Either way he definitely was not there for the company she offered, no way.

On the way to the store itself Dave had shoved his hands in to his jeans pockets after shoving on his bright red headphones to match his red hoodie complete with shades. Dave never went anywhere without his shades, it was just the way he was raised. It was a strider thing. As he walked down the alley way that headed straight for Casey’s he let the beats of his music drown out the claps of thunder and the patter of rain. The storm was clearing but not fast enough.

Dave just couldn’t stop thinking about the H under the name of the run down store. He could see it in the distance, it fuchsia hue stood out compared to the yellow of Casey’s neon sign. It just kept bugging Dave, and he had no damn idea why, there was just something tugging at him that seemed wrong about it.

It was only when Dave had actually entered the store lost in his thoughts about that creepy ass sign taking his headphones off did he nearly miss the new guy behind the counter. And that was exactly what Dave was not expecting.

The dude looked roughly about his age, meaning that he was most likely 19 or around about that. He was not tanned but nowhere near extremely pale, he could match Dave’s skin colour maybe a shade or two darker. He was currently hunched over the desk, his face resting on one of his fists giving Dave a perfect view of his face. A face that was currently scrunched up in one of the most deadly of scowls in the history of scowls that Dave could ever imagine. And his eyes, which were surprisingly a red much like Dave’s own, glaring daggers straight at him. And from the aura that Dave could feel rolling of him in waves, he most certainly was not up for any of his shit. His hair was currently hanging over his eyes, covering them in shadow which was just making him look even more deadly. His whole composure was practically screaming do not approach me, which was a real shame, he still looked cute even with that little scowl. The dude could be classed as an albino if it wasn’t for his brown locks, or the darker shade of the skin.

From the looks of the guy it obviously was not his first time working here, or maybe Dave never paid attention. Shit he didn’t know, and he was too tired to think much about it.

But Jegus be damned this guy was kinda hot, at least from Dave’s current viewpoint.

Well okay it had become official that Dave was in dream land, everything at this second was cute or hot, however the grumpy one was currently standing out far more than anything. It was becoming more and more tempting to ask the guys name, or at least attempted to get his number or something; this guy was someone Dave currently was not willing to lose sight on. Besides Dave never had trouble chatting up anyone, and he had a certain charm that could turn even the straightest of straight men gay. It was just a strider thing.

Talking of losing sight, where the hell did he go?

A tug of disappointment pulled at Dave’s heart. It seemed that he was just another that got away: well that was until an insistent tapping on his shoulder made him turn round. Ah there he was! In all his angry glory, who currently was giving Dave an evil look

He just could help the smirk as Dave turned around to face him completely. The guy himself wasn’t someone that would be classed as short, but hell he was Dave strider, if he wished to call someone short, angry and cute, then by Jegus he would. In truth the boy was only a bit shorter than Dave himself, the tip of his head reaching just below his nose, making the boy have to crane his neck slightly to get a good look at him. Never the less the height difference seemed to have little to no effect of the boy himself, well maybe a bit more than a little, seeing as he was looking a bit more pissed off than previously as he pulled his arms across his torso with a scowl ever present.

‘Can I fucking help you?’

Wait what? It only took Dave a second to realise that indeed he had been registering him; most likely about the stoic stare Dave had been giving him. Or the one he thought that Dave was giving, seeing as the shades covered his eyes. On the other hand perhaps it was just so he could remove Dave from loitering; either way he didn’t look the slightest bit pleased. Oh and how he looked cute when his eyebrows twitch along with his hands in anger.

‘Did I fucking stutter? Can I fucking help you with some sort of shit you wish to purchase, from this shit stain of a store that I have personally lowered myself down to fucking tolerate working here. Or are you fucking wasting my time asshole!’

Seriously?

Did this guy just known how cute he was? The way his eyes were glaring up at Dave with defiance or the way one hand was clutched into a tight fist around his sleeve while the other was waving around in the air as he continued on ranting. by Jegus he was cute, and Dave knew that he was repeating himself repeatedly but he just couldn’t stop thinking it. He defiantly needed some sleep.

Apart from the guy being obviously cute, from what Dave could see he was a very, very loud and boisterous person, who had a bad habit of overusing the work fuck and shit.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed between them until Dave noticed that the guy was still expecting an answer from him.  Damn well better not disappoint.

‘Thanks, but no. I aint no stray, I know my way round cutie’

Wow okay, Dave definitely was not himself. He had just flat out called some dude ‘cutie’ god he really needed to get his head in the game, or at least out of his arse. If Dave could he would of face palmed but it wasn’t worth embarrassing himself even more.

Though looking at the guy he didn’t seem to be affected, seeing as his scowl was still the same and was still plastered across his face. Did this happen often? Or maybe he just didn’t hear Dave. Most likely the latter, the former didn’t sound too nice when put in to context.

‘Did you just plain out hit on me?’

Guess not then. Neither of his guesses where right, and now h e just looked like a complete idiot, shame on him. He was putting the strider name to shame.

After a minuet of staring awkwardly at each other, the guy finally face palmed while letting out a long drawn sigh. Removing his palm from his face he started to massage his temple before looking Dave in the eyes again.

‘Jegus, you’re either drunk, or a druggie. Neither of which I partially care for; either go about you fucking business quickly, or carry you’re fucking arse out of here.’

What? Was Dave really that tired that he looked like he was a druggy? Lucky then that he was wearing his shades, he didn’t want to see how bad he looked underneath. His eyes probably had bags under them that looked like bruises. Well that what he gets for not going to sleep.

Knowing all too well that he in fact had nothing to do here, Dave jerked his head towards the door, indicating that he would be on his way out. But just as he turned around and headed towards the door to leave, his head lowered and hand back in his hoodie pockets, something came crashing into him. Luckily it was only on the shoulder, he really didn’t think that he could survive full impact. Never the less it still took Dave a second to steady himself before he would end up sprawled on the floor looking even more like an idiot. Slowly he turned his head towards the source of the bumping into, or whatever; only to find himself face to face with yet another cute ass guy. The urge to face palm himself was getting even stronger as the seconds went on. Dave could not deal with everyone he was seeing being cute, it was playing on his mind to much. And if there was one thing striders didn’t do, that was thinking on things too much. The guy himself currently didn’t look any better than Dave himself; he was a nervous wreck, barely able to keep himself in the same spot without his body shifting constantly as well as his eyes. It was like the guy was expecting anything to come out of nowhere and attack him, and by the way he was shifting and shaking he looked like he could bolt at any second. His blue eyes looked at Dave through thick glasses taking only a quick glance, looking up and down in a none ‘I’m checking you out way’ and more of ‘I’m checking to see I’m your about to attack me’ before muttering the quickest sorry Dave had ever heard before turning his attention back to the brunet that Dave had being talking too.

If this was any normal circumstance Dave would have pressed for a better apology, but he wasn’t in the mood and the guy looked like he was in a hurry. But there was just something familiar about the guy and his blue eyes now Dave came to think about. Probably something from his youth, maybe he had met him when he was younger. Most likely.

‘Fucking john don’t come bursting in here like that asshole’

Oh, that was his name, the one with the buck teeth. Dave would have stayed a bit longer now that the new guy caught his attention but he needed to clear his head. Without sparing a second glance at the two cuties behind him Dave continued his previous stroll toward the door, but not before he caught the goofy ones last sentence.

‘Karkat. We have a problem, a big one’

Dave smiled, so the grumpy one name was Karkat was it, he was sure to remember it for the future. Now with a smile on his face Dave made his way down the street and only was about a few feet away from Casey’s and the weird ass sign before his phone moaned. Yes his ringtone was a moan, don’t judge. Quickly pulling out his phone Dave checked who had the nerve to text him at this hour, seeing as he didn’t have many contacts and most knew that he wasn’t one to be text at this un godly hour.

Oh rose, okay what the hell did she want. Dave opened up the message only to be faced with a long ass text in the only language known as roses. At this he physically groaned. He was not in the mood to read such a long text, but he knew rose only texted if she had reason to and goods reason at that.

‘Dave sorry for the inconvenience; I understand that I had sent you off home to go to bed and get some food to regain much needed energy levels. Never the less instead of listening to my advice, I have a feeling that you completely ignored me, you most likely mad you way to Casey’s ...’

Jegus this woman was a mind reader, Dave just knew it. Some freaky ass mind reader who was into wizard novels. He looked up at the sky, it was still dark out apart from the street lights that gave off an eerie glow with a light drizzle, not as bad as before but still. Letting out yet another groan Dave returned his attention yet again to the screen currently in his hand.

‘However I have some urgent news that I cannot convey across the phone, and as I have spent the time texting you I would much appreciate it if you came over. Roxy is here as well as dirk, and bro. saying this I do believe you have no choice on the matter, but I find using manners is always polite. To summarise we have had a ‘sighting’ and that all I can currently say. I expect you to be here within the hour Dave, better get moving.

Fucking Lalonde, one minute was all he had been asking for. But this seemed urgent and a sighting was never good news. And if Dave was correct the term sighting meant that there was surely more to come. Shit he better get moving; today was not the day Dave wanted to be killed by Dirk or bro.

And like that Dave was sprinting down the street towards the meeting place, away from sight and too far away from Casey’s to hear the hushed whispers of two figures at the side.

‘They found us, the guardians. Th...They’re dead.’


	4. No hope for the weak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here, fast updates because im loading what i have here from my fanfiction.net account
> 
> anyway here you go

=>

He was shaking, he could feel it racking through his entire body even as his grip on john tightened. Karkat stared in to those blue eyes hidden behind those stupid specs. He wasn’t moving nor blinking as he stared at him. Eyes far away almost lost to Karkat. His lips were slightly parted in shock or panic as he gasped for breath, eyes still wide as saucers yet there was not reflection in them. Perhaps Karkat looked the same as john he didn’t know.

The news had hit him good, but it couldn’t be possible, john had to be lying: it was just one of his pranks, a deadly serious prank pulled off perfectly.

It wasn’t possible it just couldn’t be.

The guardians were older than them, stronger, wiser.

Yet john had said they were dead, the ones that had been with them for years the ones that had protected them, taught them everything were gone; dead.

The guardians had been the one that had found them all, one by one, took them in, and taught them how to survive.

They had been the ones to give them a home countless of times, and united them together in those places; made them belong.

They had done everything for them, did everything they could and more. They had taught Karkat, along with the others, to fight and use a weapon. That anything they could find can be turned into a weapon when all else fails. That their abilities where not what they needed to rely on to survive the harsh world.

They had taught them what it meant to be a demon, cursed for an eternity to fight and survive, until someone put them down. Be it a hunter or demon.

Yet they had also taught them that they could be different from the others of their kind, that they didn’t have to fight in order to survive, that we didn’t have to rely on humans as a source of food.

They had been the pillar amongst their broken sorry carcasses that crawled along the ground. Had been their support, the ones to hold them up when they fell down.

They had brought an order to them, given them a choice and a way to live, balancing evenly between the ones of us willing to get along with the humans and the ones that did not. They had been their dividers and the weighing scales that held them evenly as possible, never falling down even with all the weight upon their shoulders.

And now?

Now they were dead. The last two guardians they ever knew to still be living, breathing in toxic air dead.

Just like that

That!

Dead and most likely by some stupid ignorant piece of shit scumbag hunter.

 

They had left them alone without a pillar for support. A pillar that now crumbled and crushed them under its weight.

Of course they still had that spider bitch’s mum, but she was no guardian. Wasn’t someone to keep them under control. She was just some stupid spider that had laid claim to that bitch and expected to be fed. It was feed of be fed on by her. She wasn’t something that could replace those fucking guardians.

The last two nameless guardians in all their glorious fucking legacy, the only two after the third had died.

And in their absences who the fuck was going to keep them all stable?

Oh

Oh god

Oh Jegus fucking Christ

Who was going to keep Gamzee stable, sane? Tavros? Fuck chance, he was a fucking cripple that can’t even speak properly how the fuck was that guy with no fucking confidence going to keep Gamzee sane?

What about Jane, Jade? Or Jake, how would Jake react to this? Badly, no not after the other guardian. Jake refused to be as close to another of them, especially after her death. Heck none of them had been that close to the guardians, not really, they didn’t have that bond.

Apart from Jane and Jade and

_John_

How was john?

 

Regaining focus Karkat dragged his eyes towards the figure currently bent over himself named john. So far he didn’t look to bad, a little shaken perhaps but far from suicidal or murderous. He hoped. Perhaps they would be fine after all, if john was they why wouldn’t Jane or Jade be?

Oh right

Because they had been going off the fucking deep end for a long fucking time now, after everything they went through last time. And now, now this. It was surely enough to drive them over the deep end for sure, and Karkat really didn’t want to be around for that. This had just given the girls so much more reason, and the first thing they will be looking for was revenge Karkat was sure of it, and knowing those two they way he did, he was sure it would be pretty or quick. Even though he would love to tear the throats out of the people that did it, it wasn’t his place to nor was it anyone else’s. He just sure hope the poor fucker was wise enough to get out of there now, or would at least have a quick death painless or not. But it was not very likely.

Oh god, what would the condescension think. What would English think! Guardians were fucking rare these days and you were fucking lucky to ever see one let alone be the ones taken under their wings.

Would they be punished?

Jegus more importantly would they be culled for their lack of protection.

If a guardian was dead let alone two were dead it meant that every demon, every fucking one of them, be it nameless or not, where practically useless piles of shit and unworthy of the ‘blessing’ they were given being a demon.

Unworthy of life.

Unworthy to live.

Not

Fucking

Worthy

Enough

To

Live!

Jegus, Karkat knew he was being irrational, and he knew he was getting frantic, he could feel the blood dripping from his hands as his claws dug into johns arms. His legs felt weak and jelly like, ready to buckle at any moment under the pressure of his weight.

Karkat wasn’t not ready to die, he didn’t want to. He was ready to be executed for his worthlessness. Watch his friends die the same horrible deaths as he would un doubly suffer. Gamzee, John, Kanaya Terezi. Oh god, he couldn’t even bear to imagine their deaths let alone hers, his heart felt it was already tearing apart at the mere fought of it. He wasn’t ready to die. As for the others he didn’t know, but he hoped they wouldn’t give in that easily.

Karkat would have asked john but from the looks of thing he couldn’t speak or wouldn’t, and Karkat couldn’t bring out the courage to utter those words, his questions to him. Throughout his panic john hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken.

“Their dead?.. They... They can’t be”

His throat was seizing up with each word he was speaking; Karkat was doing everything he could to drag the words out. He need a conformation, he need the words to be spoken for him to believe it. But john didn’t reply, only lowered his gaze from Karkat’s a tear staining his cheek. It was conformation enough for him, and with those actions he himself felt close to tears. Yet they remained unshed even as they blurred his vision, Even as he slid down the alley wall john in tow. They landed in a tangled heap of legs on the floor their chests almost touching. Karkat’s hand still grasping tightly upon johns arms, johns hands grasped on his shirt so tightly his knuckles where white looking ready to split under the sheer pressure. They didn’t speak as they sat there heaving in their breaths, johns quick almost frantic, Karkat’s slow almost as if he wasn’t even there, as if he wasn’t affected. But Karkat knew better, he was tearing up inside endless possibilities bounding around his head each demanding his attention. But even with those thoughts in his head, his mind still felt blank as he stared into john eyes. After nearly an eternity of staring they finally broke their gaze as john lowered his head and rested it upon Karkat’s chest. Karkat couldn’t look down, couldn’t bare to face the reality of it as he heard johns faint sobs muffled by his shirt. Karkat turned his gaze skyways allowing the thousands of possibilities to swarm his head as he too slightly mourned the death of their guardians. He had questions, many questions spinning around his mind, almost to the extended that they hurt, and Karkat just hurt so much. He didn’t know how much more he could take. And he didn’t care if it was selfish even though he knew john hurt too, he just hurt so much.

Would they die?

Would she come for them?

How would the other react?

But most importantly

What where they going to do?

And that was a question he really needed an answer for.

“John” he whispered “what... What are we going to do?”

John didn’t answer he just slumped further forward into Karkat’s hold as Karkat cradled him in his arms. He had stopped crying but Karkat knew he wasn’t finished mourning. Karkat was sure he wouldn’t receive an answered, until he heard a faint murmur barely there but loud enough to hear.

“What we’ve always done Karkat... run”

He shook his head. They could run now, not again, never again. There was nowhere to run to. Nothing to run to.

All he could do was pray this wasn’t the end for them.

They just sat there, Karkat hugging on to the figure in his arms even more tightly as he rested his head upon johns, burying his face in to his locks. Closing his eyes, he allowed that one unshed tear to run vanish in to the messy locks of black underneath him as he too murmured something as quietly as he could unsure if he was heard or not. He didn’t bother for asking for an answer. He felt the nod.

This can’t be their end

He wouldn’t let it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this far


	5. Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here you go, some more for anyone still here.

=>

He didn’t remember how long they had sat there. All he could think of was silence.

Silence it was, nostalgic. They had been born into silence. They were taught silence.

Be quite. Stay quiet; do not utter a word, not even a breath. Then you will survive.

They strived in silence. Silence was how they lived, how they survived. Perhaps that was why he hated the silence. None heard you in the silence, people suffered in silence, die in silence.

They died in silence.

Karkat hated the silence.

 

 

 

Sometime passed before both john and Karkat managed to peel themselves off of the cold and wet concrete floor. it was raining again, more heavily than before but Karkat couldn’t bring himself to care let alone pull up his hood. And by seeing johns face, neither could he.

Though he hated the silence, Karkat couldn’t bring himself to say anything, let alone form a coherent sentence. So they just walked, through the alley down the street around the comer, hands in their pockets heads bowed and shoulders brushing against each other constantly: still in an uneasy pregnant silence.

From a glance he could see john was tense, uneasy but who wouldn’t be. He had just lost the man so close to him that he was practically a farther. Karkat didn’t know what it was like, to have that bond, but it had seemed nice to a point that he had been envious at times. But now, it seemed like it wasn’t worth the effort, it was crushing john from the inside out to the point that he wouldn’t even utter a breath.

His shoulder brushed his again, subconsciously most likely but even so the way he kept doing it, subconsciously or not, was a cry of help in itself. John needed an anchor at the moment, something to grab on to something to climb up even if it was a thread. Karkat wasn’t jade or Jane or even Jake. He could not share the pain john felt he couldn’t console him, it would just be a lie. But he could be an anchor for now, a sliver of thread for him to grasp.

Karkat looked back at john, then down and then forward taking a breath in before he grasped johns hand.

He really didn’t know what to expect, he wasn’t big on reading people but when he felt john hand tense, well he would be lying if he didn’t panic slightly. Just as he was about to pull his hand away though he felt john shift his hand slightly entwining there fingers. Startled, slightly, Karkat looked at john again. He didn’t look back but his lips formed a small smile. That’s all he needed.

If he could, if john needed it, he wouldn’t mind being an anchor for a while. He could never abandon his friend in a time of need.

However nothing could last forever, they turned the last comer just where Karkat’s apartment stood.

Before Karkat entered the apartment steam there was a tug at his arm. He turned around looking at john. There right in his eyes, hidden behind those stupid large frames, was dread.

He exhaled a breath before he allowed a small, extremely small smile to spread on his lips before he breathed

‘Ready?’

John didn’t answer straight out, just looked at their hands squeezing Karkat’s again before he look him dead straight in the eyes a glint in his eye.

‘What you think Jerk-face?’

Karkat couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that, at least john was acting like his old self even if it was a little bit.

‘Four eyes’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aurgh banters hard.
> 
> is it me or are these chapters getting shorter, i need to fix that.


	6. Smell the Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no point continuous thank you guys, basically from here on out thanks if you read it and sorry if it's bad.

=>

Oh karkles always the charmer

Terezi had only recently returned home after her rather long ‘walk’ which wouldn’t off been as long as it was if she hadn’t stopped to have some friendly banter with Vriska. Of course it had been lovely as it always was. A few harsh word snapped and shared, maybe a fist or two if she was luckily, or even just plain teasing. Either of them where fine and welcome, as long as Terezi got a good lick out of it.

But as she had said it was lovely for however long it had lasted.

However that was something Terezi couldnt say for the weather at the present moment. The sky was bland, yet again to her dismay, barely any colour touched it, not even the slightest hint of a blue or pink or something. Just bland dark grey and black sky; a major disappointment for her.

The air itself had a ‘delicate chill’ something she could imagine Karkat ranting over, something on the line of it was ‘fucking freezing’ with his cute little cheeks puffing out with a tint of red on them from the cold or from his rage she wouldn’t of cared. But it was funny how someone, well not someone not really they weren’t people, could have so much to say about something that was an inanimate object. _Like seriously!_ A feather could have fallen in front of the short demon and he would have a field trip raging at it only to rant about it later.

It was fascinating.

Not a word Terezi would use to describe the adventure she was currently having on her way home as. The slight ‘drizzle’ didn’t affect her, it was calming almost, gentle. Like a caress to the skin. But the caress wasn’t what she had wanted on her way home. Terezi wanted her journey to be treacherous.

Dragons and beast at every turn, every crack and crevice that an untrained eye could not see. Justice ready to be served swiftly at any given moment; to the unsuspecting prey in her sight. And of course all of this would have been done with a grin spread across her face, teeth showing and all as she cackled like a mad person.

Terezi may have been blind but she saw the world differently to all her other subjects. Everything and she meant everything had its own unique smell and Taste. Humans couldn’t detect this, neither could many demons, but she could and it was absolute memorising.

To catch the hint of a human, the very something you need, required from them, could make a demon crave for it, their stomach grumble for it. But for her, it could send her drooling at just the taste. Other demons could indeed ‘taste’ what they required but only in hints, whereas Terezi could practically taste it already in her mouth from a mile away.

In the least, all she could say was it took a long time to stop herself from drooling all the time.

Humans were absolutely delicious, but the overall taste of them was divine in a non creepy way of course.

Each human had their own scent to them; it was what made them unique. Demons too had their own scent, it was how you could tell what demon was what. If they should be avoided in some cases. But for humans, the sent was more of a platter. Each sent carried its own taste promised it own unique thing. For example the human Terezi just passed had an earth sent, meaning his taste was most likely bitter. Something she enjoyed time from time, but she loved the sweet ones.

Demons had scent that match them to their clan or hive. One hive had one scent which can be detected in the smallest of way on each. It linked them to the hive, but unlike humans this scent was not binding. They could shed the scent if they wished, if they no longer wished to belong. To put it simply a demon could change their scent but there is always one specific flavour that would stay with them.  This would be the scent that lies in their blood, each different but a label never the less.

The guardians, especially sir Harley, has taught Terezi that in the older times when the nameless strive more and roamed freely along with other demons had a cast system; the hemospectrum. This was based of off the scents. Although the scents in their blood are different, they could be categorised into sections due to something that links them. These scents where identified and categorized, and to make it easy they made it into colours.

Terezi was categorised as a teal, or would have been depending on whom you were and if you still used the code and followed it. This would mean she would have been a mid demon the highest of the mid categories. Terezi didn’t quite understand the concept of this. Of course the order could help tame the demons in a time where demons roamed free and widely, it would have also brought justice. However it would have also been miss treatment. If the stories where true than the lower they where categorised the worse they would of been treated. And for some reason, even if it wasn’t true, the idea of categorising someone because one ‘blood’ was higher was just wrong. It was something akin to what the humans now days called ‘racism’

Terezi also knew that demon hunters could also be categorised in this way, but it only work for some. From what she had been told those who had oddly coloured eyes of had their blood tinted/laced with a colour was either originated from a demon, or had demon blood induced into their family line. It had been said that the old hunters of the time had only been these powerful men because they had used demon blood to give them the strength and in some cases the ‘powers’ to defeat the demons. And if this was true weren’t they as bad as they seem to think they were.

_‘Like oh my god! You have injected yourself with our blood to make yourself powerful are you insane? We’re the monsters look in the mirror man’_

Or maybe that was just Terezi

Getting back to the point, demon hunters could have coloured laced blood or eyes or whatever, she didn’t care much, that gave them the advantage of better speed hearing blah blah blah than average humans, but it wasn’t anything special. All that was important was that if you had an acute enough sense of smell, like herself, you could tell a hunter from a mile off. Making her the lookout for hunters.

But if the hunter was trained enough, they may know how to mask the sent for short  periods of times, making the demons blind to attacks, which was why they tended to hide away.

Yet above all of this, all Terezi needed to know was that humans where absolutely delicious.

\--

The apartment was messy like always but it wasn’t to the part where it was absolute mayhem so for now she was fine. It was really just a little clutter that she could easily clean up if she made the effort to.

To be completely truthful , which Terezi completely was, the ‘mess’ was just her ‘shit’ as Karkat seem to constantly call all of her personal belongings. If she was any normal person she would have been offended, but it was Karkat; everything to him was a pile of shit.

The ‘shit’ was in fact her entire collection of chalks that always seemed to end up in her mouth rather than paper.

Upon entering the apartment and closing the door, Terezi took in a deep breath, smelling out her area seeing if anything was different or new.

She smelt red. candy red...


	7. Door's open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the last chapter i currently have posted on ff.net  
> as i said at the start of this, i lost the whole plan for this story, so suggestions comments criticism welcome.

=>

It took Dave roughly 15 minute to sprint the four blocks required to reach the apartment where the meeting would be held. Of course they could have had a top secret place. Like somewhere in the middle of the forest, which to be honest they did have but it was ‘used’ for other purposes. Which meant that it wasn’t used as often as people may think. The meeting place itself was an apartment they rented near the edge of Derse, it served its purpose; not drawing attention.

There was nothing special about the apartment; to be honest it was rather dull and bland for Dave’s taste. Plain grey wall, grey carpet, grey curtains... Basically the whole place was just greyscale, everything apart from the red bean bag he had insisted need to be there. He needed something soft to dump his ass on every once in a while, and the bean bag was indeed soft, it was so plump it could content with one of bro’s plump puppet arse’s.

Dave really needed to think about his life choice, because it is never the right time to ever compare a bean bad to a disturbing puppet ass.

He needs a drink, something strong, very strong to get those thought out of his head. It was one thing to be related to two people that had an obsession with puppets who’s arse’s are continually shoved in his face, but it was another thing to allow his mind to travel there , it a dark place to be.

However getting back to the task at hand, Dave had reached the top of the stair which meant he was just around the corner from the apartment door.

Undoubtedly Rose was inside, and most likely accompanied but bro and Dirk, Roxy might be there but if Dave was lucky, and at the current time luck wasn’t on his side, he won’t be the last one inside. It was always awkward to be the last one inside, everyone would look at you and at the moment Dave wasn’t in the mood to be stared at, seeing as there was a lecture most likely coming his way.

By now Dave was at the door. It was old like the apartment itself but Dave liked to think that the door had some character to it. Or at least more character than the rest of the apartment that lay behind that very door.

The door was brown like most door, a dark brown because Dave may be creative in music but colour was not his thing, but it was brown scratched up and beaten from the amount of abuse it had received over the years but still usable. In the top left corner of the door barely visible was a marking. Dave didn’t know what it was for but he assumed it was to ward of demons. He wasn’t one for paying alot of attention to things such as his lessons so he had no clue but at times like this, perhaps he should have listened.

Unsurprisingly before he was even able to open the door it was swung open by none other than a stoic faced rose, who in all cases didn’t look one bit pleased with Dave. In a situation like this all he could do was give a sheepish grin, which probably wasn’t the best idea on his behalf, but hey you live and learn. Unless you’re dead then no, you don’t live and learn.

It was one thing to piss of a woman, another to piss of a demon and a completely different story to piss of a rose. Specifically this rose. However being Dave this was something he managed to do quite well and consistently enough which meant all of her wrath was upon him in those moments and most likely now.

Before he could even utter the most idiotic excuse that could come to his head or even an apology, rose reached for him.

He would never admit it but he filched when she clasped the hem of his shirt and pulled him inside. For someone shorter than Dave, rose was strong, which lead to another reason why you shouldn’t be on her bad side. She could kick Dave’s ass any day without breaking a sweat. Well it was an exaggeration but not far from the truth.

The room was quite, accept for the closing of the door, which left an echoing click as it closed. Rose even when angry never slammed anything, which was what made it scary, she always had quite anger and would rather wait for a precise moment to unleash it that do so blindly.

She walked around Dave towards a little folded table that sat near the wall, close to the door, she grabbed a chair that was already pushed out before sitting down on it and resting her hands upon the table. Dave presumed this was the position she had taken before he had even got there.

She too was silent, blindly gazing at the wall opposite her with false concentration as she, most likely, contemplated something. She was tense he could tell, she sat stiffly and her shoulders where tense, but just from this Dave could tell that she wasn’t angry at him, but something else. Which were both a relief, and a concern for him

She slowly un-tensed her shoulders, sighing to herself before she looked over her shoulder at him from where he was still standing by the door. She turned back to the table, an invitation to sit if he wanted to; which he did. Once he was sitting down he realised that the apartment was quite because there was no one else there. Just them, and Gog knows how long rose had been here prior to Dave turning up. It meant that whatever the situation was it was either a closed one between him and rose, which was unlikely, or something else had happened to cause the other to be late. It wasn’t a cause of concern, they could handle themselves, it was only a worry if they hadn’t turned up for hours, but when looking at rose he knew that wasn’t the cause of concern, but something else.

Rose chose that moment to look up at him, slowly taking in his dishevelled hair and the crook in the way his glasses rested on his face. She took in his tense posture and the way he slumped in his chair a little. She took it all in before she rested her gaze on Dave’s eyes, even through the shades.

‘Tired’

That was all she said, all that was needed to be said. A statement and a question at the same time. Dave just didn’t know who it was aimed at. Himself or her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i would say i'll try to update as soon as possible, and i'll try, but thats a white lie most authors say.


	8. Tell me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long, i've been busy with my english literature exam and course work aswell as a newly dislocated leg that i now have to get surgery on. so it will try to get as many chapters up as i can. also thanks for all the kudos and the book marks also thanks to shrodingerslejion for leaving a comment. it was extremly helpful ^^.  
> anyway heres the new chapter, enjoy.

=>

The red she had smelt earlier was in fact her chalk, which from her guess had been used by Karkat to write his polite message In capitals, across _her_ board with _her_ chalk, but all was fine with the world. Apart from the fact she now had one less red chalk. Red chalk that was low in supply and more was needed, Meaning time to bug karkles until she got a new one, or a few.

Otherwise it was nice of him to inform her of the fact that he was working, which she already knew, and that fact that there was stir fry in the fridge, which she also knew. But frankly she was offended that she would even do such a thing as burning the apartment down, even if he wasn’t wrong about the paying part since she didn’t have a job, and being able to see by smelling was something she couldn’t really put on a résumé, could she? But it was even a big deal, they didn’t necessarily have to stay and pay for ‘this shit’ as karkles put it, they could go back to the hive, to Vriska, but Karkat was trying to live this human thing out as well as the others the ones that hadn’t gave up that is, and if he was here well she wasn’t going to leave him. Always the risk of hunters coming. always.

After all the excitement of her adventure earlier it was nice to sit down and eat microwave heated stir fry, which was now incredible dry, but who was she to complain, she had taken the whole thing not really caring whether or not Karkat wanted some. If he did he would make it clear to her later.

Terezi did always like to smell his cheeks light up red, it made her want to giggle all the time, which she did.

After Terezi finished the not so delicious stir fry she settled back on the worn up couch that Karkat had claimed as his bed, when he actually slept. Karkat’s fitful sleeping patterned probably didn’t help the old couch, only ruining it more that it previously was, however Terezi could still claim it had character even if it was sunken in.

The only time Terezi knew that Karkat was on the couch for was when he decided to sleep or when he was sitting down to a romcon. Terezi found it quite amusing how nothing was able to stop the constant turning gears in Karkat’s head apart from a romcon. She guessed that it gave him  a chance to withdraw himself from this life the where living, somewhere he could get lost and not have to worry about anything but the stupid romances and love triangles that Terezi pretended to make her feel sick, even though she actually found it kind of sweet.

It was childish she knew but Terezi could also understand this logic that Karkat had. It was the same thing she did essentially when she walked out sniffing out her pretend crimes on her adventures, or when she played a game with Vriska to distracted herself. It was hard to admit but they really all where the same in that way finding something to get lost in, it was completely normal for them. Maybe not a human looking in but for them it was comfort, it was necessary.

Terezi was still getting comfortable as she got lost in thought contemplating everything when she heard the footsteps on the stairs. Being blind she had sensitive hearing, it was natural, blind humans had it aswell, but because she was a demon she had far more sensitive hearing, more that the other demons. The footsteps where heavy but Terezi had no doubt that they belonged to both Karkat and john. Which was strange, they where not expecting john. Or she wasn’t, Karkat would of told her if john was coming. So something must be up.

She didn’t really like the thought of that.

She stood up as she heard them reach the door grabbing her bowl intending to put it away just after she turned to greet them as the door opened. Plans she thought never go as we want them to.

As the door opened, the scents wafted in and it was one particularly scent that had her loosening her grip on the bowl. Its smash as it made contact to the ground echoed around the room as she locked unseeing eyes with Karkat who stood just past the door way hand on the handle after he had caught it from swinging.

It wasn’t the sudden entrance or the door hitting the wall that had caused her to drop the bowl, but that one particular smell that kept on hitting her nostrils making her dizzy.

It hadn’t been tears that Terezi had smelled. No.

It had been the stench of death.

And it was coming off of both of the demons at the door, prominently from john though Karkat had trances. Most likely from an encounter with john. But still the stench unsettled Terezi as she shuffled forwards towards the demons who were doing them same, her arms slightly rising. No words needed to be said, and Karkat walked in to her opened arms and embraced her back shortly as she did to him, before he moved towards the kitchen and she turned and did the same to john. Terezi sniffed john shirt that was in front of her, grip tightening ever so slightly before she drew back almost tripping as she made some distance.

Terezi was shaking, terror racking though her, not new to her but unwelcomed all the same. Her hands where hanging in the air as she stared at john who stared right back at her.

She may not be able to see through her eyes, but Terezi saw well enough.

‘Tell me that, smell is not what I think it is’ she half gasped and hissed.

‘Tell me that I’m wrong john!’

It was Karkat that answered her instead.

‘We can’t ter’

It was then that her hands dropped along with her head her eyes brimming themselves much like johns. She heard the footsteps but she still filched at the hand on her shoulder, already knowing it belonged to Karkat.

‘Terezi’ he breathed barely audio able even to her as she turned to face him. Terezi rarely cried, but she did not stop the tear rolling down her cheek passed her glasses.

‘The others’

‘Will need to be told’ Karkat finished for her.

Terezi was glad that he was on the same thought pattern  as her, the current situation called for it. If what she had sensed was truth as they had told her it was, then everything. Everything they had ever worked for, this peace they made themselves believe they could have, was crumbling around them leaving them to suffocate.

And now without the guidance they had it fell to them to decide their path. And terezie dreaded it.

‘John, Kanaya’ she said her head tilting towards him without Turing away from Karkat.

The sound of the door closing again indicated that john was doing as she had requested.

‘Tell me everything’

It was then that Karkat broke his gaze, his head dropping as hers had done while he breathed in a deep breath.

‘I don’t know everything’

Terezi lowered her head as well there foreheads bumping, a sign of comfort between their kind while her hand grabbed his forearm giving a reassuring squeeze.

‘Then tell me what you do know.’


	9. You know..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right, i am sorry that this is late even though i said i was going to post ages ago, stuff got in the way so again my apologies. also i am sorry the chapter is short and kinda rushed, i just wanted to get something up but i should have time to make better chapters later.  
> again sorry for not updating and i hope you like this thing of a chapter
> 
> arahs xx
> 
> ps. thanks for all the kudos and the comments, its still amazes me people actually like to read this story.

You know..

=>

They sat there in silence for some time, the only sound being the distant tick of the clock and their breath. The sounds where not unwelcome, in fact they were almost calming in the otherwise tense atmosphere that surrounded them, it was nice enough that Dave didn’t want to break it yet he needed to ask, and sitting in silence was offering no answers.

He looked up at rose taking in a breath before he spoke. ‘Do you know?’

At the sound of his voice rose too looked up from where she had been staring at her intertwined hands as if they were something she had never seen, before she sighed.

‘Do I known the entire reason that we are here? No. do I know the complete situations? Again I possess no such answers.’

She paused for a long moment eyes looking at him but unfocused before she continued

‘I do have my suspicions; the same as you do, but I cannot be certain they are correct the same as you.’

This time it was Dave’s turn to sigh. He knew that Rose didn’t know everything, didn’t always have the answers, but at times it seemed to him that she was holding back, keeping something to herself locked away that no one knew. It frustrated him to no end, no matter how hard he pushed he could no unlock what she withheld from them could not get her to show all the secrets she knew, and Dave knew she had secrets, he knew that she had secrets that where not hers to keep. He hated being left in the dark by rose because it scared him, secrets where frightening and these one even more so, and he hoped, hoped that rose knew what she was doing because by gog he could not loses her to them.

So he simply sighed once more.

‘rose-‘

She cut him off before he could continue.

‘The most obvious reason would be that there has been an increase in demonic activity, though perhaps not because I could have told you that minus these dramatics.’

She unlaced her fingers sitting straight in her chair looking at Dave head on once more

‘taking that into considerations another possible answer would be a higher ranked demon, if that is what you wish to call it, has been spotted and most likely killed by bro, therefore he is giving us a thumbs up so to speak.’

The silence between them came back tenfold once rose had said her piece. What she had said was valid, but Dave knew it wasn’t the complete answer or even the correct one. After all bro could have just texted them all this information which they would then leave to discuss some other time, and they would all continue going their own way.

Dave looked at rose, looked at her stiff posture and her adverted gaze, rose was always an excellent liar, could lie to Dave and he wouldn’t even know it regardless of the years he has known her. So that’s why Dave knew that, even if he couldn’t tell when she was lying there was something troubling her, something that was related to why they were here, and something that she would not share with the rest of them.

However knowing this still didn’t stop his curiosity and the worry that nagged at him behind his poker face.

‘What is it rose’

‘What it what Dave’

He huffed ‘you know something’

At this she raised an eyebrow a slight smirk forming on her lips ‘do I now, brother?’

 ‘Has a cat caught you tongue sister?’ Dave huffed looking at rose through his shades with annoyance. ‘Of course you fucking know something!’

‘And if I did?’

‘I would expect you to spit that cat out and use that voice of yours that you love. Fuck I would even take a riddle at this point’ he fumed leaning forward on the table.

Perhaps it was not the best thing to say because, gog, Dave was shit at riddles or at least the ones that came spewing out of roses mouth, but looking at her now she seemed conflicted her shoulders tensed as her mouth hung open just a little.

‘Dave i-‘

Dave never got to hear what rose was going to say, never know if she was that close to letting slip her secret never knew if rose was going to tell him the truth because it was all ruined by obnoxious giggling that followed the click of the door lock.

Simultaneously both his and roses heads snapped towards the door staring, or in Dave’s case glaring, at the silhouette standing in the door way. They both spend a moment all eyes locked on the figure as the figure looked back before rose gained her composer closing herself down once again and locking the key to her safe of secrets, only this time swallowing the imaginary key before nodding at the figure

‘Roxy’ 


	10. Concerns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not dead!  
> sorry for taking a while to update, was busy with mock exams and doctor appointments, but my update schedule is irregular at best so not much of an excuse really.   
> so enjoy this excuse of a chapter while i attempt to write the next chapters.
> 
> feel free to comment or leave a kudos.  
> which reminds me thanks for the ones i have received so far its lovely to see people actually like what im writing.  
> Happy new year have a great 2016
> 
> Arahs xx

**Concerns**

 

=>

 

Dave’s ears were greeted by a giggle as Roxy entered into the room, her smile causing the silence that had begun to bear down on both Rose and Dave to disappear. Roxy moved passed the table on her way through and towards the empty living area tailed by Dirk who must have been behind her as they had entered the apartment.

Dave quickly turned back towards Rose, who had also turned back towards Dave, while Roxy and Dirk where busy dumping their stuff. He lowered his head slightly so she could see his eyes over his shades and locked gazes with her. He wasn’t done with this conversation and by the irritated sigh Rose released, Dave knew she had understood him and wasn’t the slightest bit happy about it.

After their little stare down was broken by Rose, Dave turned his attention to the other two occupants in the room. Dirk had taken off his jacket and placed his sword in with the others in the old ‘umbrella holder’ whereas Roxy had dumped her rifle on the closest surface available to her: the floor.

Both of them looked fine, no new scratches and bruises that he could see from his position at the table which meant that whatever they had been doing it didn’t cause them any trouble. Dirk was wearing his stoic face, like a true strider , as he straightened out his anime shades which both he and bro wore whereas Dave wore a more rounded style of shades. Roxy no longer had a smile on her lips and instead had her mouth pulled slightly to the side with a slight furrow to her brow, obviously thinking about something.

Dave had always like Roxy; she was the hot chick who was his half-sister as well as a sort of mother figure to him in a weird sort of way, mainly when she wasn’t completely drunk of her ass.

In truth Dave knew it wasn’t unusual to see Roxy sober like she was at this moment, but it just wasn’t a common occurrence either.

But he understood why she drunk the way she did and he couldn’t judge her for it, not completely anyway.

He knew she drunk to cope like many people did, but unlike normal people the alcohol didn’t affect her, or hunters in general, the same way. Roxy could drink heavily, get drunk with enough alcohol but wouldn’t get a hangover wouldn’t get sick or ill from drinking. Nothing.

She had nothing to stop her from drinking the way she did.

Perhaps it didn’t bother her but for Dave those little facts where something that made him feel less human that he already did, made him feel like he was more like what they hunted rather than what they protected.

Due to age Roxy and dirk had been hunters for slightly longer that he and rose had. But something had to have happened during this time because he could see it in her eyes sometimes. She had seen something that haunted and plagued her at every turn, enough so that she couldn’t cope without a bottle to grasp on to.

Dave didn’t know if he should be terrified by that.

Terrified of ending up like her and many others, hiding and trying to forget something that they could not shake.

And sometimes he wondered if perhaps both he and Rose would be next.

It was the sound of Rose’s phone vibrating that drew Dave from his thoughts and towards the phone that she snatched from the table. She furrowed her brows at her phone showing displeasure at the message she had received before quickly typing back and placing the phone back down looking at Dave again.

He raised one eyebrow at her which she shrugged at.

‘Nothing of importance.’

Dave had a feeling that that wasn’t entirely true but he let it drop

‘If you say so’ he muttered.

‘I do say so’ she smirked ‘Besides, I believe bro will be here soon and we can discuss the current situation before it escalates further’

It was Dave’s turn to frown

  _Before it escalates further_

He looked at rose again, he was certain now she knew what was happening.

She had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> til next time


	11. Concerns prt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! late again...  
> Instead of promising another chapter soon, i'll just say i will get their when i get their because i have notes of little parts of the chapters to come and ideas i just gotta actually make them into chapters.   
> basically chapter updates will happen when they happen as i am busy with hospital appointments and GCSE's  
> so thank you for bearing with me.  
>  thank you for all the comments, i kinda forget people actually read this ^^  
> feel free to continue commenting and giving kudos i appreciate them really, its motivation to continue this rather than abandon it.  
> so enjoy and have a good LGBT history month x

=>

Karkat did exactly what terezi told him to do.

In truth there wasn’t really much to tell. He didn’t know the whole story, he wasn’t even sure that john knew the entire story himself.

Throughout karkat’s retelling he kept a eye out for terezi response, she was sully concentrated on what he was saying if the slight furrow of her brow was any indication she knew that this wasn’t something that could be joked away or one of her adventures that could be stopped when it went too far. He was grateful for that.

They both knew that their future was now unclear, something they were now blinded to more so than ever.

Karkat had finished telling terezi what he knew and left her to think about the situation as he returned back to the open kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and knocking it back clearing away the dryness and the lump that had formed in his throat.

The sound of footsteps in the corridor alerted both that kanaya had arrived and no doubt already up to date about the entire situation by john. Karkat turned towards the door as it opened, resting his back against the kitchen counter instead of going to the door to great one of his oldest and most trusted companions. But kanaya would understand, she always did with no questions asked.

It was john who entered first, heading straight for terezi who had opened her arms once more much like the way she had done when karkat himself had walked in, allowing john to slid into her arms and rest his head against her neck. Karkat trusted that terezi could comfort john’s inner turmoil while he talked to kanaya who had entered and was already making her way toward him allowing herself to rest against the counter next to him.

He sighed before tilting his head to rest it on her shoulder while she brought her arm up and placed her hand upon his head, rubbing in soothing and comforting motions through his hair.

It was her who broke their silence with her low tone and calm voice.

‘John has informed me of the situation’

Karkat hummed ‘the others will need to be told’ he whispered back.

‘I took the liberty of contacting them when john spoke to me’

His mouth twitched at the corner as he straightened looking forward still ‘of course you did’

He really should have expected it from her.

Karkat sighed again pushing off the counter ‘I suppose we should be going then’

‘yep’ was johns reply as he too pulled away from his comfort smiling at terezi as he did so, a show of thanks returned by the blind girl.

John left first followed by terezi who grabbed her cane on the way out leaving karkat who stopped at the door and turned towards kanaya who had yet to move, brows furrowed and looking down to the floor.

He cleared his throat ‘you coming?’

At her nod of confirmation he turned back and continued walking out of the door following the other two, furrowing his brows as he did so. Karkat had known kanaya for centuries, far longer than he had known any other of the demons, she was his first companion that stuck by him and became someone he cared about dearly. So he knew when something was troubling her, and something was troubling her. She was keeping something from him and although karkat respected her privacy, being left in the dark did not sit well with him. But he would voice his concerns later when he could speak to her alone.

\---

At the moment that the door shut behind karkat and his footstep sounded down the hall as he walked away kanaya wrote out a message and sent it to only one contact consisting of only one sentence before she too left the flat and followed the other demons towards their destination.

‘It seems our concerns where correct.

K.M x’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm sneaky texts are apparently becoming a thing....


	12. Rippling Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written on my phone so excuse any spelling mistakes.
> 
> Sorry I haven't updated in a long time I was busy with my GCSE then with a ton of hospital appointments.
> 
> That and I knew what was meant to happen after this segment but had no clue how to write out these two chapters.
> 
> I've just started college so bare with me I'll attempt to update more frequently. 
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment and kudos.
> 
> And thank you for all the comments and kudos it's really nice to see that my work isnt complete rubbish that no one enjoys.

He barely remember the trip to the hive .  He wasn't concentrating on it.  as far as he cared he was in one place and in another with out a thought.  
He remembers being able to move like that one upon a time. No one knows how to move like that anymore.   
  
They had taken the car.  
  
Another reminder of what had been lost. Karat just wanted to get in and out as fast as he was able . Leave this shambles of a hive behind him and be all the better for it.  
  
Even if he was alone again.  
  
He was used to being alone   
  
-  
Bro was much like dirk in many different ways. He was stoic and kept to himself. Hid a lot of thing behind his shades and that stoic facade. The most dave could tell you in confidence  was that he was his brother and he called him bro. That was it.   
  
Every thing else? He didn't know.  
  
To many the method of being raised as an hunter was strange. No one would understand it unless they where a hunter themselves or were surrounded by them.  
  
In all honesty it was a hard life and for bro to have pulled it off and raised the both or them was well admirable.  
  
Dave just couldn't help wishing g sometimes that Bro had taken some time out of raising him as a hunter and treated him as a normal child once or twice. He cared for his brother but dave could not recall any fond memories between them. It was always training and suprise attacks in the house to build up his awareness and 'prepare him for any possibility'.  
  
He wasn't the only demon hunter to ever wish for another life but he could never tell whether his brother wished for one as well.  Even with dirks stoic stare, kne that all striders master, he could still see a flicker of emotions  here and their. But with bro there was nothing.  
  
In all honesty dave was tired.  
Tired of the shades. The stoic faces and cold shoulder and the critical gaze he could feel following him every where.  
  
He was tired of not know who his brother was behind all he showed.  
-

It was simple getting thee others to gather at the hive  virska  was a permanent resident in the empty halls and Jane and jade seemed to be frequent if only less frequent that terzie's presence here .  
  
She seemed to come here as often as she did to the apartment but her scent was different here not permanent like back in their little space.   
  
Her scent was fleeting here  
Stronger at the entrance weaker in the corridors. It was obvious she did not venture far.  
Karat wondered if virska ever realised the blind demons presence.  
  
He doubted it they had a rather strange relationship not exactly hatred but not exactly love. They were in better words fond of one another yet avoided the company that each other wanted from the other. Complicated.   
  
Karat envied them.  
  
It had taken a few hours but all had made it. Tavros wheeled in by gamzee his ever present shadow. Smiling yet silent as always.  
  
Tavros seemed to be all he talked to for the past decades. He seemed mellow if not sombre when  we hasn't plastering a manic grin across his face creasing the dried and cracked paint ever present on his features.  
  
Karat saw him as a friend, the term used loosely. He watched from the sidelines to see when   Tavros hold over him would slip and that manic expression would morph into a manic laugh and crazed moments and thought.  Karat wondered when it was time to cut down the indigo eye just as it was done oh so long ago.  
  
Times change quickly  but instics take longer and sometime never change.   
Tavros himself was different had been for many decades. He no longer held the timid look in his eyes as he once did long before he lost his legs instead he wore the eyes of someone who could snap just as easily as the shadow behind him but it was more controlled. Tavros had learned patience where vriska had not. It was a powerful weapon if used correctly.  
  
Every one else seemed to fall in to place each picking different sections of the room. Kanaya stood close to him not over bearing but  close enough that he could feel her eyes bore into him analysing him as he just had Tavros and gamzee but witch a deeper understanding.  
  
Karkat hated that she understood him far more than any of the others but he appreciated it when he needed a shoulder.  
  
Karat knew kanaya would be talking to him later.  
  
_  
  
Bro or Derik if you were to call him by his birth name, which dave did not and perhaps never will, walked in sword on his back and a splatter of blood across his face. He had a noticeable wound on his forearm. Dave could tell it was a bullet that Bro didn't have time to completely dodge.  
  
Dave turned to rose who nodded her head at him before returning her gaze back to bro   
  
She was thinking what he was thinking it wasn't an typical demon. Even an higher demon wouldn't weild a gun. And bro wasn't the type to hurt a civilian. But the only other possibility couldn't be true.  
  
There was no way.  
  
Bro had walked in and turned off to another room giving them all the opportunity to share looks and sit up straight as they all thought of the possibility of what the wound meant.   
  
One looked showed they came to the same conclusion yet couldn't fathom it.  
  
There was after all one demon type that could weild human weapons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading .

**Author's Note:**

> well if you made it this far, thanks for reading.


End file.
